Georgia congressman donating his shutdown salary to charity

The U.S. Capitol is seen in the morning hours January 20, 2018 in Washington, DC.

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A GOP congressman from Georgia is donating his salary while the federal government is shut down to charity.

In a letter to the chief administrative officer of Congress, U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-12) is asking his salary be withheld until the shutdown is over:

I cannot, in good conscience, accept my salary while @SenateDems refuse to pay our brave men and women in uniform - that's why I have asked for my salary to be withheld until this #SchumerShutdown is over.

Allen represents much of east Georgia, including Augusta, Statesboro, Dublin and Vidalia.

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The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday, halting all but the most essential operations and marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Last-minute negotiations crumbled as Senate Democrats blocked a four-week stopgap extension in a late-night vote, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter century. Behind the scenes, however, leading Republicans and Democrats were trying to work out a compromise to avert a lengthy shutdown.

Republicans branded the confrontation a "Schumer shutdown" and argued that Democrats were harming fellow Americans to protect "illegal immigrants." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a "Trump shutdown" was more accurate.